While any road mishap is unfortunate, a commercial truck accident can be more devastating. These vehicles, including 18-wheelers, are often loaded with goods, and even a small incident can have traumatizing consequences for everyone else, especially those in passenger cars. If you sustained injuries in a truck accident, your foremost priority should be about seeking medical attention. You should also inform the local police and wait at the scene. Use the time to exchange information with other parties and avoid making inflammatory statements. Once you feel okay, the next step is to contact a Trucking Accident Attorney. In this post, let’s discuss why such accidents are different from typical car crashes. 

Multiple parties could be responsible

Trucking accidents are the hardest to investigate. Besides the truck driver, there could be other parties responsible for the accident, such as the truck owner, the trucking company, the vehicle manufacturer, and cargo services. A significant amount of information is with the trucking company, and if you are not careful enough, details can go missing in no time. You need a dependable and knowledgeable attorney to investigate the truck accident and uncover evidence that may come in handy to prove liability.

Your fault is also relevant

Unlike states like California, which allow victims to file a lawsuit even with a higher fault share than the other party, Georgia follows the modified comparative negligence rule. You can only sue the truck driver (or the party to your claim) if they are more liable for the accident than you. Also, your fault (measured in percentage) will determine what you get from the rewarded settlement. For instance, if you sued the trucking company and received $500,000 in damages but were also found to be 20% responsible for the mishap, you will only recover $400,000.

Call an attorney

As discussed earlier, hiring an attorney is extremely important after a truck accident. Only a handful of law firms can claim to have experience handling such claims, and more importantly, you need a lawyer who can consider litigation when necessary. Because victims often suffer catastrophic injuries in these incidents, the compensation tends to be considerably higher. The other party and their insurance company will not be easy on you, and without an attorney, you may feel burdened and confused. Instead of accepting the first offer, let an attorney investigate and negotiate on your behalf.

You can check websites like Avvo or Nolo to find local truck accident lawyers in Tyrone.